Danny wants substance as well as style

James Shield
Sheffield United

SHEFFIELD United manager Danny Wilson will refuse to take unnecessary gambles next season despite pledging to help his new employers shed their long-ball reputation.

Having heard Kevin McCabe, the club’s plc chairman, bemoan the paucity of entertainment on offer at Bramall Lane, Wilson’s commitment to attacking football helped him to take charge following Micky Adams’ departure last month.

But, describing League One as a “physically uncompromising division” soon after his appointment on Friday, the former Northern Ireland international said: “I want to play good football but not circus football.

“Teams have shown that you can have success at this level by playing what I firmly believe is the right way.

“But, to get out, ultimately it is still all about results. Without those you don’t go anywhere.

“That’s why I want us to be able to play well, give the fans something to watch and enjoy but also retain the quality to knuckle down when required.

“I like to play a certain way but it’s important that you can be flexible too.

“Everyone appreciates that.”

Wilson hopes to blend members of United’s FA Youth Cup Final squad into a new-look first team, and signed shirts, issued ahead of last month’s second leg at Old Trafford, are being auctioned on eBay to raise money for The Teenage Cancer Trust and Karl Darby Fund.

Having acknowledged he faces a battle to win over those supporters angered by his appointment – Wilson represented Sheffield Wednesday as both a manager and player – the 51-year-old believes transforming United’s image could salve their bruised egos. Such a process, though, is unlikely to be completed overnight.

“If we can get this club moving forward,” said Wilson. “Then it’s going to take some stopping.

“It’s a big job in everyone sense of the word and there’s a real opportunity too because it’s a chance to be part of re-structuring right from the start.

“If you are in that position then I think it always give you a better chance.”